The present invention relates to computer-assisted surgical systems. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with an interactive computer-assisted surgical system and method thereof.
Computer-assisted surgical systems are used to help doctors during a surgical procedure. Initially, these systems were only displaying status and data on the patient""s physical condition. Eventually, computer-assisted surgical systems have evolved to allow real-time interaction between the surgeon procedures and the computer data displayed. In recent years, computer-assisted surgical systems began displaying computer generated models of the anatomical structures of interest to help the surgeon visualize the surgical procedure being performed.
One such system has been described by Willie WILLIAMSON, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,092, issued on Jun. 23, 1998. In this patent, Williamson teaches a computer-assisted system to help perform a hip replacement. The system allows the surgeon to interact with three-dimensional models of the relevant bones to select an appropriate replacement strategy. A first drawback of Williamson""s system is that there is no registration of the anatomical structures of interest and thus, these anatomical structures must be adequately immobilized in order to visualize the interaction between the structures and a robotic arm. The immobilization of the anatomical structures renders the intra-operating room planning difficult, since no trial movements can be performed on the immobilized structures. Furthermore, only the movements of the robotic arm are reproduced on the display monitor and the interaction is performed only on two-dimensional images of the anatomical structures. Finally, Williamson""s system does not allow the visualisation of transparent three-dimensional models of the anatomical structures.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,886, issued on Nov. 4, 1997, Scott L. DELP et al., propose a computer-assisted surgical system that overcomes some drawbacks of Williamson""s system. Delp teaches the interaction of a surgical tool with three-dimensional models of the anatomical structures of interest. However Delp""s system does not allow real-time update of the positions of both the surgical tool and the three-dimensional models. Furthermore the registration process requires a lot of inputs from the surgeon. Another drawback of Delp""s system is that the three-dimensional models do not appear partially transparent on the display monitor. Thus, the anatomical structures may obstruct the view of the tool, depending on the relative position of the tool and the anatomical structures or the tool may simply be overlaid over the three-dimensional model, providing partial occlusion of the structures. As discussed hereinabove with respect to Williamson""s system, Delp""s system does not allow intra-operating room planning.
Improved computer-assisted surgical system and method are thus desirable.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide computer-assisted surgical system and method free of the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior-art.
Another object of the invention is to provide computer-assisted surgical system and method that allow real-time registration of a surgical tool on transparent three-dimensional models of anatomical structures.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide computer-assisted surgical system and method that allow real-time display of the relative positions of transparent three-dimensional models of anatomical structures and of a surgical tool.
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an interactive surgical system to assist a surgery on at least one anatomical structure, the system comprising:
a tool;
a computer, including a three-dimensional model of each of the at least one anatomical structure and a three-dimensional model of the tool;
an output device connected to the computer; the output device being configured to display the model of each of the at least one anatomical structure and the model of the tool; and
a position sensing system connected to the computer; the position sensing system being configured to register the position of the tool and the position of each of the at least one anatomical structure and transferring the positions to the computer;
whereby, in operation, the computer, using the positions of the tool and of the at least one anatomical structure, is configured to determine virtual positions of the models of each of the at least one anatomical structures and of the tool and to control the output device to display the models of each of the anatomical structure and of the tool at their respective virtual positions; the three-dimensional model of each of the at least one anatomical structure being so displayed as to appear partially transparent.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interactive user interface for a computer system to assist a surgery on an anatomical structure, the user interface comprising:
a tool;
an output device connected to the computer; the output device being configured to display a three-dimensional model of each of the at least one anatomical structure and a three-dimensional model of the tool; and
a position sensing system connected to the computer; the position sensing system being configured to register the position of the tool and the position of each of the at least one anatomical structure and to transfer these positions to the computer;
whereby, in operation, the computer, using the positions of the tool and of the at least one anatomical structure, is configured to determine virtual positions of the models of each of the at least one anatomical structures and of the tool and to control the output device to display the models of each of the anatomical structure and of the tool at their respective virtual positions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method to assist a surgical procedure on at least one anatomical structure, the method comprising:
providing a position sensing system;
providing a tool to perform a surgical procedure on the at least one anatomical structure;
using the position sensing system to register the relative position of the tool and of each of the at least one anatomical structure;
using the relative position of the tool and of each of the at least one anatomical structure to compute respective virtual positions of each of the at least one anatomical structure and of the tool;
providing an output device;
displaying on the output device a first view including a transparent three-dimensional computer model of each of the at least one anatomical structure and a three-dimensional computer model of the tool at the respective virtual positions.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of determining the appropriate position of a surgical implant on at least one anatomical structure, the method comprising:
identifying a possible position for the implant on the at least one anatomical structure;
registering the possible position for the implant and the position of each of the at least one anatomical structure;
creating a computer models of each of the at least one anatomical structure with the implant;
placing the at least one anatomical structure in at least one position;
registering the at least one position of the anatomical structure; and
using the at least one registered position to simulate constraints on at least one of the at least one anatomical structure and the implant;
wherein the appropriate position is one of the at least one position where the simulated constraint lies in a predeterminate acceptable range.
Finally, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-assisted surgical system to assist in the installation of an implant on at least one anatomical structure, the system comprising:
a tool to identify a possible position for the implant on the at least one anatomical structure;
a computer including models of each of the at least one anatomical structure and of the implant;
a position sensing system connected to the computer; the position sensing system being configured to register the possible position for the implant with respect to at least one position of each of the at least one anatomical structure and to transfer the positions to the computer; and
whereby, in operation, the computer simulates constraints for each of the at least one position of each of the at least one anatomical structure;
wherein an appropriate position of the implant is one of the at least one position where the simulated constraint lies in a predeterminate acceptable range.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.